Venetian blind cleaner



1948; B. CRANNEY 2,452,107

- VENETIAN BLIND CLEANER Filed June 30, 1947 Fig.5

I N VEN TOR. B. Cmlmney ATTORNEY.

Patented Oct. 26, 1948 2,452,107. VENETIAN BLIND CLEANER Beatrice Cranney, Seatt1e,Wash. I Application June 30, 1947,-Serial'N0; 757,980

1 Claim. (01. 1 510 2) This invention relates to Venetian blind cleaners, and particularly to devices for simultaneously holding and cleaning the slats forming such blinds.

In the use of Venetian blinds they rapidly collect dust and require frequent cleaning to pro- 'vide reflecting surfaces for lightening the rooms where the blinds are maintained. Various devices have been proposed for cleaning such slats,

but they have not been satisfactory for various reasons. When the slats are being cleaned it is important that the surfaces be untouched by the fingers which otherwise would leave finger prints on the blinds because of slight moisture from the fingers. Fresh dust rapidly gathers on spots where the fingers have touched smooth surfaces of the slats. It is also important that the several slats be held by mechanical means and that an element for cleaning the slats be operated on the same plane with the surfaces of the slats. Mechanica1 fingers of round rod like shape covered with wiping material have been suggested but such shapes provide only narrow surfaces for contacting and wiping the faces of the slats and rapidly become impregnated with dust and require rapid changes which are impractical.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide one pair of adjustable clamp jaws for normally gripping the slats severally near one of the ends thereof together with'a guide rod extended laterally from the jaws parallel with the slats to be cleaned, with another pair of jaws slidably mounted on the rod for wiping and cleaning the slats.

A further object is to provide such cleaning jaws with wide surfaces or faces to conform with the surfaces of the slats, to provide relatively extensive contact areas which will not be quickly .filled with dust, and particularly to provide over such flat surfaces of the jaws soft material for wiping the slats adjustably mounted over the jaws for shifting the positions thereof and for removal and renewal of the coverings. Said jaws being provided with ribs around the same adja-- cent to the base of the jaws over which such soft coverings may be stretched for normally retaining the coverings where manually disposed.

With these and other objects to be hereinafter stated I have illustratively exemplified my invention by the accompanying drawings, of which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the device in connection with a slat to be cleaned and showing relatively wide jaws for contacting the surfaces of the slats,

Figure 2 is a side view of the pair of clamp jaws taken on line 2%2 of 1, with a flat faced slat in; cross section,

. Figure 3 isanother-embodiment of the clamp jaws curved to: conform with the curved slat shown in cross section therewith, and

Figure 4 is a side View of a pair of cleaner jaws covered Withsoft material taken on line 4-4 of Fig. l.

.Like numerals and characters on the different figures representlike parts. The letter Arepresents a flattenedrstrap from a Venetian blind and a small a, represents a slat of the curved type. B, C, and D represent generally and respectively a pair'of. clamp jaws, and a pair of cleaner jaws and a connecting rod. Numeral 5 represents an upper clamp jaw and 5 an actuatinghandle extended thereon. Depending centrally from the upper jaw and handle are ears I which span a hub I ll which is integral with the lower clamp jaw B and handle 9. A pin ll connects the upper and lower jaw in pivotal relation.

The hub i0 is provided with an eye l2 through which the rod D is slidably mounted but normally retained by a set screw iii in a normal position near one end of the rod to facilitate the connection of the clamp jaws upon one end of a slat to be cleaned. Holes M are provided through the ends of the rod for cotter pins Hi to prevent jaw members from accidentally slipping off from the rod. An expansion spring 15 is mounted between the handles for expanding the same and for causing the jaws 6 and 8 to close and grip the respective end of a slat for connecting the rod to the slat.

Numerals ll and I8 represent upper and lower cleaner jaws which are provided with ribs l9 around the same adjacent to the bases of the jaws, over which ribs the open ends of sack like covers 20 may be stretched as indicated at M for retaining the covers normally in extended position over the jaws for cleaning the slats. These covers may be of chamois skin or other soft fabric suitable for wiping and cleaning slats, and suitable to be manually changed for cleaning the same or renewal thereof when covered or impregnated with dust. The jaws l1 and I8 are provided with handles, hubs, ears, pivot pins and eyes similar to such members described for similar parts forming the clamping element, but do not have any set screw for binding the cleaner jaws to the rod, thus the eye l2 through the hub of the.

cleaner jaws may be manually moved along the rod while the cleaner jaws are operating along the surfaces of the slats.

An expansion spring l5 similar to the spring l5 except that it is relatively weaker in tension, is provided for expanding the handles on the cleaner jaws and compressing such jaws on the surfaces of the slats. The tension of the spring may also be decreased by manual pressure on the handles as may be desired.

When the slats are curved in cross section as shown in Figure 3 the pairs of clamp jaws as 22 and 23 and the cleaner jaws are curved lengthwise to conform with and clean the curved surfaces of such slats.

In use for cleaning slats with the device the.

several slats of a blind may be steadied or held by the clamp jaws at one end thereof and thereupon the cleaner jaws are adjusted over such slats and wiped to and fro along the surfaces thereof and on the same plane with the slats, without the necessity of the fingers of the operator contacting the surfaces of the slats, and also assuring that the entire surfaces of the slats will be wiped and no patches of dust left thereon after the cleaner jaws have been manually operated upon the rod. It will be understood that the soft material in sack formation when used on the cleaner jaws will be normally sustained in desired positions on the jaws by the ribs, but may be rotated over the jaws and ribs until all the surfaces of the sacks have been used for wiping the faces of the slats, and such sacks may be thereafter easily changed for others or may be cleaned for replacement.

Having described my invention I claim as new for Letters Patent:

A device for cleaning Venetian blinds, comprising, a pair of clamping upper and lower jaws I for binding over Venetian slats to be cleaned,

handles extended rearwardly from the jaws for operating the same, a spring mounted between the handles for normally binding the jaws upon opposite sides of the slats in predetermined positions, a hub integrally disposed between the lower jaws and handles and being pivotally connected with the said upper jaws and handles and provided with an eye therethrough, a rod disposed through the eye with one end thereof normally bound to said hub and the other end of the rod projected laterally from the hub for disposition parallel with the slat to be cleaned, a second pair of jaws and handles pivotally connected by a hub integrally formed with one of the jaws and provided with an eye slidably disposed on the rod and adapted to be moved to and fro on the rod for wiping the jaws thereof along and upon opposite sides of the slat to be cleaned, ribs around the cleaner jaws adjacent to the bases thereof for retaining covers over the jaws, flexible covers mounted over the cleaner jaws and ribs, for wiping and collecting dust from the faces of the slats, a relatively light spring mounted between the handles of the cleaner jaws adapted to normally sustain the covers of the jaws against the faces of the slats, said handles being adapted for regulating the tension of the last described springs and jaws on the slats and to facilitate manual operation of the cleaner jaws to and fro along the slats parallel with the rod.

BEATRICE CRANNEY.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Mills June 14, 1910 Number 

